


Friends Make All The Difference

by MusicLover19



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Civil War Team Iron Man, Don’t copy to another site, Harry moves to america, M/M, Master of Death Harry Potter, Not Epilogue Compliant, Parent Harry Potter, Parenthood, but I will be considerate and not bashing for the sake of it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-09-08 03:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20296960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicLover19/pseuds/MusicLover19
Summary: Harry decides that he needs to get away from Britain, there are too many things happening around him and he has had enough of the constant stares and whispers. Harry just wants to be Harry. He packs up, takes Teddy and leaves for America, only keeping in touch with his friends. During one day at the park, he meets a ruthless woman with three children of her own. Through this woman, Harry meets a few new faces and grows to love his not-just-Harry life.A different but similar take on Making a Move.





	1. Meeting Teddy Lupin

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter uses a bit of Deathly Hallows. It starts after Voldemort's defeat and leads into Harry and Andromeda talking, and Harry meeting Teddy.

“The thing that was hidden in the snitch,” Harry had told Dumbledore’s portrait. “I dropped it in the forest, I don’t know exactly where, but I’m not going to go looking for it again.”

Dumbledore had agreed, complimented Harry on his wise and courageous decision, even though it felt anything but brave and courageous. Harry knew he would give in to the temptation if he had the stone, that was all. If he had no idea where it was, then he couldn’t use it. He wouldn’t lose himself to the stone and the memories of his family.

“I’m going to keep Ignotus’s present, though,” he added, and Dumbledore beamed. The cloak, after all, was Harry’s possession, one from his father, and he couldn’t bear to part with it. The cloak held no temptation, no risk to him. It could prove to be useful in leaving the castle, or even walking through Diagon Alley in the coming days.

“Then there is this,” Harry said, placing the Elder Wand on the table with a hesitancy he didn’t like to acknowledge. He could feel the power within the wand, the power that wanted to break free. “I don’t want it,” he forced the words out, even as Ron protested.

Harry ignored his friend, finding the broken pieces of his own wand from the pouch around his neck. His holly wand, barely together, connected solely by the Phoenix feather inside. He had to try and get his wand back, the one that didn’t even urge for _more_. He spoke the word carefully, fearful to hope as he touched the Elder Wand to his old one. The wand resealed, sparking as it became one. It had worked.

Without thinking, Harry reached out, thrilled by the warmth that ran through his hand and up his arm at the touch. It was as though his wand was just as happy to see him as he was.

“I’m going to put the Elder Wand back where it came from,” Harry said steadily, meeting the painted eyes of Dumbledore again. “It can stay there. If I die naturally, the power will be broken, won’t it? Its master wouldn’t be defeated, so that would be the end of it.” Dumbledore nodded, and relief swam through Harry.

“Are you sure?” Ron asked, staring at the wand with a hint of longing. Hermione agreed with Harry though, saying as much to Ron.

“The wand is more trouble than it’s worth,” Harry said. “And honestly? I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”

Harry’s mind wandered to the four-poster bed in Gryffindor Tower that he could sleep on, and Kreacher bringing him a sandwich, if the house-elf was willing. He was just thankful he wouldn’t have to walk past the Great Hall where the bodies still -

His thoughts silenced with an acid feeling in his throat. So many people were dead because of this fight, because of him. Remus and Tonks - had anyone told Tonks’ mother? Harry knew they had been staying with her, and he couldn’t imagine Tonks leaving her son with anyone else.

Her son.

_Oh god_.

An urgency hit Harry and he turned towards the floo, needing to know that Teddy was ok. He heard his friends call out behind him, but the words were illegible. Harry could almost hear Lee Jordan’s words from however long it had been _‘It is with great regret that we inform our listeners of the murders of Ted Tonks and Dirk Cresswell.’_It felt like months ago, almost a year since he had heard the words spoken, but he knew that wasn’t true.

Harry hoped that he remembered the location, he hoped - were they connected to the Floo Network? Was it reasonable for them to be connected? There was so much corruption in the Ministry.

“Harry,” Hermione said, pulling him back by his shoulder before he could dive into the fireplace. “What is happening?”

“Tonks,” Harry gasped, “Her mom.”

Hermione paled, and Ron followed suit almost instantly.

“We need to tell her,” he stuttered, Harry had no idea how he would broach the topic, but it felt right for him to tell her, especially after the close call the last time they met. “Kreacher!” he called, hoping the elf would appear.

“Harry, you can’t -”

“I can’t leave her not knowing,” Harry snapped at Hermione, regretting the action when Hermione stiffened.

“He’s right,” Ron said, rubbing his hand over his face. “Do you want us -”

Harry cut him off by shaking his head. A pop announced Kreacher’s arrival.

“Master,” Kreacher said, offering a slight bow to Harry.

“Kreacher, I need - can you take me to Tonks’ mom? She is Bellatrix’s sister,” Harry asked, noting how Kreacher’s eyes lit up.

“Miss Andromeda,” Kreacher nodded. “Kreacher will take Master now.”

Harry waiting for both Hermione and Ron to nod their agreement before he reached for Kreacher and let the elf apparate them both from the Headmaster’s office. Harry tried to prepare himself for Tonks’ mom, he didn’t want to pull his wand out on her again - or rather for the first time. He hadn’t got far enough to find his wand the last time they were together.

“Mrs Tonks?” Harry called as soon as the pop sounded, his heart in his throat as he looked around. The room was dark, and the house was silent. Harry couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong, that someone was hiding and waiting.

“You are not my daughter,” Mrs Tonks said. She waved her wand and the room was lit, they were in the room that Harry had woken in.

“I - I need to -” Harry stuttered.

“You being here says it all I suppose,” the woman said softly, and Harry knew that she knew. “I asked her to stay here.”

“I am so sorry,” Harry gasped, and to his horror, he could feel his eyes filling with tears. He could still see Tonks, Remus and Fred all laid on the floor, eyes unseeing of the world grieving around them.

“Nymphadora is strong-willed,” Mrs Tonks said stiffly. “Nothing short of - there was nothing that would stop her. Sit Mr Potter,” she ordered and Harry felt helpless as he sat.

“You -”

“Kreacher, would you mind getting Mr Potter some tea?” she asked the elf, who quickly set about completing the task. “I am a little surprised to see Kreacher with you,” she said, and Harry knew she was just trying to distract them both.

“Si-Sirius left him to me,” Harry managed to say, but he focused on his breathing, trying to keep it steady. Now that he had sat down away from the crowd, he felt as though he was shaking. His breathing was speeding up, and his eyes were unfocused.

“That does sound like him,” Mrs Tonks said with a hint of wistfulness. Sirius had only nice things to say about Andromeda, in the few moments that he told Harry of his past, he had mentioned the single Black sister that was unlike the rest of the family, and how she had inspired him to be different.

Kreacher reappeared, holding out a saucer and cup for Harry to take. With shaking hands, he brought the cup to his lips.

“How long has it been since it all finished? I am guessing that we won,” she added.

“This morning,” Harry said, and embarrassingly his voice had shaken with the words. “Voldemort - he died this morning as the sun rose.”

Harry watched as Andromeda closed her eyes and leant back against the couch. She looked exhausted, and Harry was almost positive that she had been awake as long as he had. No doubt her daughter leaving to fight again was the cause of her restlessness.

“They - both,” Harry tried to say the words, tried to tell her that he hadn’t wanted this outcome. He hadn’t wanted them to die, or to leave Teddy and herself alone.

“They’re both dead,” she said, and Harry couldn’t help but flinch at the cold tone. The words were out there, and no one could take them back. “I - I had hoped they would come back but I had a feeling.”

“I am so sorry,” Harry said, needing to say the words a million times. “I am sorry about Ted too.”

Andromeda’s eyes snapped open and latched onto Harry’s face. She stare was intense and Harry could almost imagine what she was thinking, how much she hated him.

“War has lasting effects,” she said slowly, almost weighing the words in her mouth. “I lived through the first war, and during that time I was one of the few lucky to survive with my family by my side. It is only fair -”

“It’s not fair,” Harry said loudly. The force behind his voice caught himself off guard, but he continued. “It’s not fair at all. No one should have died. If I - if I knew everything, no one would have died,” Harry’s voice quietened, his forcefulness losing power with each word spoken until he was left with pain-filled despair. If he had known, he could have sacrificed himself earlier, he could have kept everyone safe.

“What is done, is done,” Andromeda said. She lent forward and touched Harry’s knee. “You did everything you could.”

Harry’s hand reached up to wipe at the wet line down his face as a tear fell. The words felt fake, especially when he thought he would be offering comfort to a woman who had lost almost all of her family.

“You should hate me,” Harry said as another tear fell.

“I think you hate yourself enough for me,” was her only response. Harry didn’t need to tell her how much that was true. The words were written on his face as the tears continued to fall.

“I’m going to check on Teddy,” she said, squeezing Harry’s knee before she stood up. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Harry miss the wobble in her voice, or how she had swallowed audibly as she left the room. He was focused on trying to hold himself together. He felt empty and alone, his friends had been by his side but he didn’t feel right. He felt cold, as though he was barely holding onto the Earth. Part of Harry longed for what might have happened if he had boarded the train in Kings Cross. He wished he had been selfish, that he had gone onto the next adventure and spent time with his family. Instead, he was left here without them, left with the pain of everyone that had been here for him, that had fought by his side.

Harry didn’t know how long he sat there, waiting for Andromeda to return. He was focused on his breathing, trying to keep himself calm and ease the shaking in his hands. It was long enough that Kreacher had returned to replace Harry’s cold tea with a new steaming cup.

“Do you want to hold him?” Andromeda asked, pulling Harry out of his wallowing.

He opened his eyes and saw the woman holding a baby, he was tiny and almost overlooked in her arms. His hair was blond but there was a hint of brown at the roots of the hairs.

Andromeda didn’t wait for an answer before holding Teddy out, and Harry caught sight of the boy’s face. There was the hint of Remus that broke Harry’s heart, he had the same mouth, and he even had Tonks’ typical nose. It made Harry wonder just how true to her original looks she had stayed.

Harry took Teddy with a gentleness he didn’t know he still possessed after the year travelling they had. Teddy was awake and looking at Harry curiously. Harry adjusted his hold as Andromeda warned him of Teddy’s neck, but he couldn’t draw his eyes away from Teddy’s changing blue eyes. Harry swore he caught sight of a few green speckles in his eyes.

“His hair will start to change to yours in a while, it takes time but he is getting there,” Andromeda said fondly. “He’s started holding his head up, but he’s still a little wobbly.”

“He’s amazing,” Harry breathed, smiling gently as Teddy yawned and reached clumsily towards his face.

“Remus told us that he told you that you were his godfather,” Andromeda said. “You’re more than welcome to come around as often as you want.”

“I will,” Harry promised, pulling himself away from Teddy’s eyes. He caught the softness in Andromeda’s eyes and ducked his head. “I want to make sure - I want to be here for him,” he amended, Harry didn’t want to make Andromeda think he didn’t think she was capable, that wasn’t it. Harry just wanted to make sure Teddy was happy and loved, he didn’t doubt he would be, but his own past weighed heavily on his mind.

Harry spent hours with Teddy, carefully feeding him under Andromeda’s watchful eye and even changing the child. It was soothing in a way Harry hadn’t imagined. Crashing through the Floo to Grimmauld Place was an adventure, especially when he had run into Hermione and Ron kissing. The three friends ended up sleeping together, reassuring themselves that they were all safe and healthy. It reassured Harry to be able to touch them, to feel them beside him, even if they were laid on the unforgiving floor with a few blankets.


	2. The Break-down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter shows how the years went, the breakdown of Harry and Ginny's relationship, and how moving became an idea.
> 
> Warning; Miscarriage mention. It isn't stated outright but the subtext is there (pretty much symptoms but it's not officially stated that it was a miscarriage, just that the pregnancy was no more). I don't want to just push it on you though, so warning.

Harry’s safe haven turned out to be Andromeda’s house. She was always welcoming and was content to let Harry and Teddy spend time together. She didn’t care for Harry’s fame or what the Daily Prophet was saying. Harry could ride out the press in her house, getting to know Teddy and seeing him crawl and babble. Before long, it seemed as though life continued, the world forgot it’s grief, or at least ignored how it felt as people moved on with their life. Even Teddy was moving on at a rapid rate that felt like he was leaving Harry behind. Crawling turned to shaky steps, and babbles turned into broken sentences before his eyes.

Walking, talking, it all happened and Harry felt honoured to have seen Teddy through the milestones in his life. Andromeda had joked that Harry should just move in at one point, and while Harry had laughed at the words, he had his own room in the Tonks household and stayed there fairly often.

When Harry wasn’t spending time with Andromeda and Teddy, he was reconnecting with the Weasley’s - although he had yet to step foot into the Burrow. He had started a tentative relationship with Ginny, trying to stay out of the public eye. It seemed as though whenever Harry ventured outside, he ended up on the front of the Prophet.

It took time, but Teddy’s first birthday was a party where the Weasley’s were able to meet Teddy and Andromeda and truly have a good time. George’s presence was missing from the festivities, but he had sent a gift in his absence. Harry had yet to reach out to the man, nervous for what may come from the attempt at communication.

The next few years followed in a similar manner, Harry still hadn’t dared go to the Burrow, despite being invited weekly. Harry did, however, send George a letter, apologising profusely before asking how George was doing. Harry had admitted how he had been struggling and thought that checking in with George was the best plan, he hadn’t explained how he thought seeing George would break him and leave him back in the mindset the war had given him. It had taken a while for George’s response to arrive, and seeing the familiar handwriting had shaken Harry. It had been another day before be could bring himself to open the letter. Taking the chance - after a glass of firewhiskey - Harry opened the letter, prepared for whatever George might send his way. It was a simple letter, no hexes or curses. Harry was almost disappointed.

As Teddy continued to grow and learn, Harry and Ginny grew closer, having taken their relationship steady. They went on dates, cooked for each other, and eventually moved into a small house together. It was a year after they moved in that Ginny told Harry she was pregnant, she ordered his favourite food from the Thai restaurant near them and told him. They both relished in the feeling, holding each other close and sharing their excitement together, talking about the future and what they wanted. Harry had even told a young Teddy, delighting in the amazement in the child’s eyes as he tried to understand how there was a baby growing in Ginny’s stomach.

Unfortunately, that joy was short-lived. A few months after the pregnancy was announced, Ginny woke up, her hands pressed against her stomach as she groaned. The noise woke Harry, who tried to comfort his partner. This was not the only discovery to be made, in moving Ginny from the bed, they noticed the blood. The rush to St. Mungo’s felt like a lifetime for both Ginny and Harry as they held on tight to one another. Harry refused to let her go, even as the healers did their tests. He couldn’t stand to see his girlfriend, who was so strong, so close to tears. She listed what had happened, and they both knew that it was serious when the healer added extra privacy charms around them. Those next tests confirmed what had happened. Ginny sobbed into Harry’s arms, and Harry sat blankly. He had planned his future, he had picked names and celebrated. And it was all gone in an instant. The healer eventually came back, having given them time to accept the news, and discussed the next steps. They had miscarried later than normal, so they wanted to make sure Ginny was healthy and give the couple a choice in what to do. The choice was Ginny’s, and she barely hesitated when she told them she didn’t want to carry to full-term, that there wasn’t a point. The words had been bitter, and Harry had held her close, trying to ease the pain in her. The days following were long and tiring for both of them.

The world seemed foggy to Harry as everything continued. He felt as though he had stepped away from the war, that lingering nothingness where his emotions should be. He waited until Ginny went to the Burrow for comfort from her mom before he let himself cry. Harry cried and cursed for what felt like hours, his world seemingly empty. He didn’t clean himself up before going to Andromeda, his eyes still red and tears still staining his cheeks.

Harry and Ginny didn’t speak when they both returned home. They went to bed and laid in silence, hesitantly reaching out for each other.

The weeks went on.

They didn’t speak.

“We can’t keep doing this,” Ginny said, her voice raspy and quiet. Harry didn’t need to ask what she meant, he knew she was talking about their whole relationship. What had felt exciting and fun was a shell of itself.

“We can get it back,” Harry protested, his voice almost as damaged as Ginny’s. They had barely left their home, barely speaking to anyone.

“We can’t,” she sighed. Ginny sat next to Harry on the sofa, leaning against his side. “I can’t stop thinking about it, and I know you have been avoiding me as well.”

“You’ve been avoiding me too,” Harry pointed out, but it was weak as he pulled Ginny closer and pressed a kiss to her hair. “It shouldn’t be the end.”

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Ginny countered.

“Don’t say that, there was nothing we could do,” Harry said, his voice was rough, but he did believe what he was saying. Neither of them were at fault, even if they felt guilty.

“Doesn’t make it easier,” she muttered. “I’m scared it will happen again, what - I don’t think I’m cut out to be a mother,” she turned to look at Harry, catching the heartbroken expression before he could reign it in. “You deserve someone that can give you what you want.”

“You would be a wonderful mom if you wanted kids,” Harry promised, and he knew, he had seen and fallen in love with Ginny and how she had acted with Teddy.

“I can’t do it again,” she sighed. “I can’t lose anyone again.”

It broke Harry’s heart, and the thought of Fred only made the pain worse. Harry couldn’t ask it of Ginny, he hadn’t thought it would happen, it hadn’t been a possibility in his mind. Now, knowing it could, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her more.

“I have Teddy,” Harry offered, but Ginny shook her head. “I love you,” Harry finally said, and he knew it was going to be the last time he spoke the words with as much meaning as they held. Ginny responded in same, but when they parted that night, Ginny went back to the Burrow, and Harry went to Andromeda’s house.

It was during the time staying with Andromeda as they sold their house and officially moved out, that Harry noticed how tired the woman seemed. She had been borrowing Kreacher for the most part, offering an extra pair of hands around the house as she watched Teddy. Andromeda seemed worn down, and Harry’s presence did little to lighten her.

Almost two months after Ginny and Harry broke up, Andromeda admitted that Teddy was too energetic for her to look after. He was tiring her out quicker as the days went by, and she knew he would only get livelier. Harry offered to take over, to watch Teddy more as he stayed there and the three of them worked well. Teddy enjoyed having Harry around full-time, and Andromeda had more freedom to relax and _act her age_, as the woman put it.

Everything was going fine until Harry went out with Teddy one day. They went to Diagon Alley, just to get the boy a few books and some toys. Harry hadn’t been out in public in a while, letting Andromeda collect the necessary things they needed. They had mostly completed their shopping when the first camera flash blinded them.

That was just the start.

Flashes after flashes came. Voices shouted and blurred together as Harry made sure to keep hold of Teddy. He was growing more and more irate at the people around him until he snapped. Harry apparate both him and Teddy back to Andromeda’s home, making sure the child wasn’t too overwhelmed and frightened before he found Andromeda and let himself vent. He told her how he was sick of being followed, sick of the questions they threw at him. He hated how he had to _breathe_ just to be put on the front page of the Daily Prophet, even years after Voldemort’s defeat.

Harry continued to complain, not giving Andromeda a chance to intervene as he let the frustrated energy leave him. He sunk into one of the garden chairs when Andromeda suggested it.

“Why don’t you just leave Britain? You would be free of it all. You could still come back and visit but you would be able to live your life.”

Harry had stared at her in shock, it was something he hadn’t considered. He couldn’t bear to leave everyone. Hermione and Ron were starting their own life, sure they were still harassed by the press but it wasn’t as often, and they had both made names for themselves after the war. The stories about them that were featured were due to the news regarding their work. Ginny had started to move on, Harry heard that she had joined a Quidditch team and they were practising for the tournaments coming up. Harry had sent his congratulations and got a demand to watch her play in response.

“I can’t leave Teddy,” Harry sighed, stopping his mind from imagining how freeing it would be to leave the house and not fear that someone was there waiting to capture a picture of him.

“Take him,” Andromeda offered. “He likes you more anyway,” she tried to smile but it wasn’t as realistic as normal. “I can’t keep up with him, I’ll gladly take him on weekends or throughout the week but even with Kreacher - I am an old woman now.”

“You could come?” Harry offered, not wanting to pull Teddy away from his grandma, but she just shook her head.

“Dora and Ted and here, I can’t leave them.”

They continued to talk, Harry offering her possibilities but in the end, they agreed. Andromeda was a stubborn woman, and she wouldn’t settle for Harry being unhappy. She made Harry promise to bring the topic up with Teddy, letting the child choose what would happen.


	3. Saying Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry packing and saying goodbye to the Weasley's.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to skip this;  
Thank you all for the kind words and I’m sorry there has been a delay, it started as me trying to figure out work/uni work and then about a week ago my relationship of 8 years (it’s been an ldr) ended and I’ve been surprisingly numb, so I’m not entirely sure this chapter flows as much as I want it to but it was a good distraction for me.  
I've been in a weird headspace but I wanted to add more to this chapter - which is why it wasn't posted a while back, but I think I'm in a place that I feel ready to write more now.

“Are you sure you need to leave?” Ginny asked, sending a frown to Harry as he continued to pack.

“You know why I’m leaving,” Harry sighed, he let the box go as he turned to face his ex. They had parted on good terms, much to the distress of the wizarding world. “I can’t stay much longer, it’s easier if I just disappear now, you know this.” They had had this discussion too many times, ever since Harry had considered leaving Britain and had gotten back in touch with Ginny. He hadn’t felt right trying to leave without talking to her.

“Ron and Hermione won’t like it,” she added, playing on Harry’s weakness. Hermione and Ron had recently given birth to a baby girl, they had named her Rose, baby Rose Granger-Weasley. It pained Harry to say goodbye to them now, especially when they had been there for Ginny and himself.

“Teddy doesn’t mind,” Harry pointed out. Teddy was his priority, and Harry had brought the topic up with the kid a few months ago, asking his opinion. Teddy had been a little confused, but excited for the adventure ahead.

“Teddy doesn’t know any better,” Ginny said with a sigh, she watched as Harry folded a few more clothes. “Does it really have to be America?”

“You know that it doesn’t mean anything,” Harry said, he turned to Ginny, smiling as he caught sight of her distraught face. “My floo is always open, and we have free access to come back,” Harry reminded her gently.

“International flooing is a pain,” Ginny protested lightly. It was a weak argument, but Harry knew that it would take longer for his friends to visit him than for him to visit them. Harry and Teddy were still British citizens, even though they would live in America.

“It takes a few more minutes and means talking to someone else,” Harry pointed out, but he opened his arms for Ginny to take comfort from him. She didn’t hesitate to wrap herself around Harry, and for a moment everything felt normal. “You can come with you know,” he offered, but Harry knew her response.

“I can’t just leave the Harpies, it’s too soon,” Ginny protested, but he held Harry tighter to her and let herself relax into Harry’s arms as he rubbed her back. “I don’t want you to go.”

“Gin,” Harry sighed.

“I know,” she whispered, “just let me have this.”

“You’ll see me soon enough, and I wouldn’t miss your big games, Ted would kill me,” Harry didn’t try to pry Ginny away, he let them both stay with each other, and didn’t deny Ginny what she needed.

After a few moments, Harry felt her lips press against his cheek before she stepped back. There was a watery film on her eyes that broke Harry’s heart. It felt like their break-up all over again. Neither of them had cried, but it had been close.

“You come get me before you go,” Ginny ordered, but it was more of a question. Harry nodded, letting her retreat. Ginny did her best not to show emotional venerability, and Harry understood. They had spoken at length about their pasts, how Harry had been broken by his family, and about how Ginny had given herself to the diary that used her emotions and own body against her.

Harry didn’t get a chance to say anything else after he had nodded, Ginny had fled. He faintly heard her muffled cry as she flooed home. Harry wanted to follow her, he still loved her, even if he wasn’t _in love_ with her. There was always going to be the part of his heart that belonged to Ginny Weasley. He never wanted to lose her in his life.

He tried not to let it get to him, his friends and family weren’t going to be out of his life, they would just be a little further away - which meant almost nothing with magic. Travelling took a few moments longer as you stated your business, but that was all. It wasn’t as though Harry was asking them to travel like muggles.

“Harry!” Teddy called as he zoomed into the room, his hair was a wild red, no doubt having caught sight of Ginny as he passed by. “Are we ready to go?”

“Not just yet,” Harry chuckled. They weren’t leaving for another few hours, Harry was just packing the last of their belongings, the clothes they had worn the day before.

“He’s ready, give him the chance and he’ll beat you there,” Andromeda said with a gentle smile. It did break Harry’s heart to leave her behind.

“We’re so close cub, I just need to finish a few things and then -”

“Mama Drom’ can do it,” Teddy whined.

Harry’s smile grew at the name. Andromeda had admitted how she had hated it, but it was what Tonks had been determined to call her, apparently her daughter hadn’t viewed her as a grandma. The hideousness of the name only made the choice easier. Andromeda had continued the legacy and had even stop wincing in disgust as she heard Teddy say it.

“We can’t just ask her to do it all,” Harry pointed out, and Teddy’s energy fell as he nodded.

“I’ll make you a deal,” Andromeda said, “you go pack the rest of your toys in the box in your room and I’ll help Harry and we’ll be done before you know it.”

Teddy nodded eagerly before shooting off towards his room again, leaving almost as quickly as he had arrived.

“You do have magic,” Andromeda reminded him, but she started to fold the last of the clothes alongside Harry.

“I’m nervous,” Harry admitted, feeling more comfortable telling her how he was feeling after these seven years. There was no one else but Andromeda that he would speak so openly with, he knew she didn’t judge him.

“It would be silly if you weren’t. It is a big change,” another thing Harry loved the woman for was that her stiff pureblood act only lasted for a week. She would revert at times, but childhood habits and teachings were difficult to lose, but Andromeda was very much the kindly Aunt he had hoped Petunia would have been.

“But it’s not as permanent, I can be back here in five minutes. It’s stupid to be so nervous,” Harry frowned. He looked down at the t-shirt he had folded before shaking it and starting again. He spoke clearer if he wasn’t thinking about it, having something else to focus on helped.

“You’re going to be in a completely new environment, with a child,” Andromeda pointed out blandly. “If you weren’t nervous we should send you to St. Mungo’s. You’ll be fine, and I’ll visit in a week and make sure you aren’t just eating junk and acting like a seven-year-old with him.”

Harry managed to chuckle, but his anxiety was still present. They had decided to travel the muggle way, just so Teddy had that experience. Harry wasn’t going to keep him separated for the muggles right away, he wanted the child to meet other children and Harry had been nervous that Teddy not understanding how to travel from Britain to America would be viewed as strange. Andromeda agreed, which was lucky because Harry had assumed he was making it out to be worse than it actually was. Even Hermione had agreed and then had walked Harry through what to do at the airport and what to expect from the journey. It wouldn’t do well for a grown adult to seem completely bewildered, she had explained.

“Is Kreacher alright making the journey?” Harry asked, slightly changing the topic. He had been worried about the old elf, he had slowed down a little more.

“He’s looking forward to getting out of the house, are you sure you want him to stay here?”

“He can come and go,” Harry offered, he didn’t want to admit that he felt better making sure Andromeda had Kreacher around, it eased the guilt of taking Teddy away from her.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” Andromeda sighed, reading Harry all too easily. She pulled her wand out and gave it a swish and the clothing in Harry’s hands, along with the last few items folded themselves and packed themselves away into the bag Harry had ready.

“Am I making a mistake?” Harry asked her, unable to hold the question back. He had been nervous to ask Ginny or even Hermione and Ron, fearful that they would say yes.

“Can you go out without being followed?” Andromeda offered as a counter-question. “Can you take Teddy out without worrying that he’ll be all over the paper?”

“But leaving everyone I know?” Harry ran his hand through his hair. “It feels excessive, I grew up without anyone and now I’m purposely leaving them.”

“But you’re not,” Andromeda said gently. She moved closer to Harry and lifted his chin so their eyes met. “You are not a coward, and leaving does not mean you are. You are doing what is best for you, and it takes five minutes to visit us all, we will survive without all of your Gryffindor friends crawling into my house every day. They have their own lives, it is only fair you have your own life too.”

Harry ducked his head out of her hold, it sounded so reasonable when she said it, but it didn’t sit with him as nicely. Hermione and Ron hadn’t shown too much distress at him leaving - although Hermione had looked sickened at the thought before she learnt the process of international travelling. Ron had seemed as though he knew it was coming, he had nodded and wished him well before demanding a room for them to use when they visited with Rose. Molly had taken the news worse, but she was still trying to coax Harry into visiting the Burrow still, Aurthur and calmed her and wished Harry luck in his endeavours (along with the hope that Harry would be able to bring more muggle belongings to him, without Molly realising if possible). Ginny was harder to sell, when they had started talking again, the two of them had been nervous but the relationship felt right as friends. Harry was Ginny’s cheerleader with her profession, he had urged her to try and achieve her dreams. Ginny was trying to be supportive in return, but she was the one that typically ended up at Andromeda’s every other day as they ate nonsense and she spoilt Teddy.

Harry had kept in touch with a few others from school, but they were less often around through more than a letter or two. Neville was working at Hogwarts, and Luna was moving between Hogwarts and travelling herself. Percy was helping George out in the shop still, but he had started working alongside Hermione in the Ministry trying to change the laws to benefit everyone a little more. Bill and Fleur were happy with their lives and had three children of their own, Victoire, who was five already, Dominique who was three and little Louis. Teddy had been fascinated with Victorie when she was born, but soon decided he had enough with the loud baby. Teddy had a few play dates with the other kids, but Teddy was at an age where he didn’t want to entertain the younger ones, while Victoire was more than happy to indulge her younger siblings.

Harry knew logically that leaving wouldn’t be as huge of an event as he expected, but he couldn’t shake that unease. It had been building as they packed, the feeling of forgetting something and leaving something important behind, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I’m done!” Teddy’s voice rang through the house, “can we go now?”

“I’ll go distract him,” Andromeda promised. She squeezed Harry’s bicep. “You go say goodbye to everyone, I believe Ginny went to the Burrow.”

Harry nodded absently. He had planned to stop by the Burrow, even though the thought filled him with dread. He knew that the whole family was going to be there.

He moved on autopilot, as easy as it would be to floo to the Burrow, he didn’t feel right just arriving into their house. It had been too long, so he would rather apparate. Stepping outside of the wards felt easy, he spied a few people loitering, probably hoping for the next story before he let himself envision the house he had felt at home in. It wasn’t easy to picture the house without the destruction that the Death Eater’s had bound to have caused at Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Harry knew that there had been repairs to the house, he had heard Ginny talk about them when they had been dating. He let himself settle back into his memories and pulled his magic close.

When Harry opened his eyes, his breath caught in his throat. The house hadn’t changed much, there were still several stories so high that it was impossible to be held up without magic. There was a few discoloured areas, but it was just like he remembered. The garden had been regrown, Harry remembers Ginny’s talk of it, of how much time and effort her mom and dad had spent in rearing chickens and regrowing the grass where it had been burnt.

The house no longer felt like home. Harry felt the weight of the world as he stared at what used to be his sanctuary. He could leave now, no one knew he had come, and they wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t show. Harry stepped over the ward line, a new addition to the house on Bill’s insistence, and he felt that missing piece of him. There was a comforting breeze, one that seemed to wrap around him and let him know he was safe.

Harry had seen Molly, they had spent a little time together in the few years, but it was still surprising when she strode out of the front door, arms already half spread wide to welcome him. She didn’t say anything, and neither did Harry. He just let the woman crowd around him as she wrapped her arms around his back and held him to her chest.

“You kept us all waiting,” her voice shook a little as she spoke, but the tremor was hidden with a sniff. “Now, I know we don’t have much of your time but the whole gang is inside and you aren’t getting away now. There’s even meatloaf cooking for you to take. Come on.”

When Molly had released him, Harry dismayed, he felt like he would float away, perhaps be forgotten. Suddenly, Harry felt glad that he hadn’t brought Teddy, he already felt shaky and it wouldn’t have done for the child to see Harry cry in front of him again. It had already happened too many times for Harry’s liking.

“Everyone is in the living room,” Molly prompted, as they walked towards the door. “There’s tea and treats all set out, and little Rose is here too.”

“How are the parents?” Harry asked, hoping to delay facing his friends.

“Tired,” Molly chuckled. “She’s found her lungs, that’s for sure. She’s rarely gone an hour without screaming the past week.”

“I would say I’m sorry I missed it,” Harry joked. He was sorry, he had visited Hermione in St. Mungo’s after the birth, it had been difficult for him to return to the hospital, his memories were not the best of the rooms, nor did he wish to run into anyone that may remember him. But he faced his fear for his friends. Hermione had been exhausted, barely having slept, but she still radiated happiness. Rose had been left aside to sleep as Harry had entered with a sheepish grin. He hadn’t known what to do. Hermione had the chance to shower, and she was resting in bed with her damp hair sticking to her face, but she looked overjoyed.

“You aren’t, Teddy was bad enough if I remember right,” Molly chuckled. “Go say hi to everyone, I’ll have food ready for you to go.”

“You really don’t need to,” Harry protested, it was pointless, he knew this, but he still felt bad for taking food from her.

“Nonsense, you won’t want to cook when you get there, now shoo.”

Harry grinned as he raised his hands in mock surrender, but he did listen to her demands. It was terrifying to walk to the doorway that separated him and the rest of the Weasley’s (and Hermione was now a Granger-Weasley officially). He knew he had to face this one last thing in Britain before he left though. So he pushed the door open.

Silence met him.

Not everyone was there. Bill, Fleur and their kids were nowhere in sight, nor could Harry hear them - which was the most likely if they were around, the kids had rarely been quiet in their adventures. Charlie didn’t seem to be around, but Harry thought he had gone back to the Dragon Reserve not so long ago, they had invited him to their farewell, but he hadn’t wanted to intrude. He didn’t want his first visit to be a goodbye - although that was a failed thought now.

He met Hermione’s eyes and noticed Ron grinning at him next to her, holding onto their daughter. Offering them both a grin, Harry allowed himself to look to the others in the room. Ginny was sat by her dad, both smiling at him. Even Percy was sending him a smile. The house felt emptier than Harry remembered, and he count pinpoint the lack of noise even without the knot in his chest.

“You took your time,” Ginny huffed, breaking Harry from the spell that had caught him. He couldn’t dwell on who wasn’t around, it wouldn’t end favourably. He wanted to enjoy his time, so he let himself push the feeling down as he moved to sit by Percy, asking what he had missed. Ginny wasted no time in babbling about what had happened before he arrived, talking animatedly and rolling her eyes when the other’s interrupted. It was for his benefit, he knew. Ginny had used the same tactic in the past when he had felt overwhelmed around people, she would draw the attention to herself and offer him a wink when no one else would catch it.

“Fleur wanted to be here,” Percy said, Ginny and Ron had dived into an argument. “Louis fell ill, and she believes in letting it run its course without magic interference, drives mom mad.”

“I bet it does,” Harry said, letting himself relax back against the chair. He still felt the tension in his shoulders, but he wasn’t as on-edge as he had been. Hearing the people around him talk helped, they hadn’t pulled him into the conversation too much, but they hadn’t excluded him either. It was nice.

The time passed by, even after Molly had joined them, telling Harry that the food had been dished up and packed ready for their trip. They all had settled down and talked about what Harry had been doing, how Teddy had been handling the packing and how Andromeda was. Harry had even managed to claim Rose for a portion of the conversation, stopping her whimpers as she looked up at him with wide eyes. She was still so young, but Harry was transfixed, even long after she had fallen asleep in his arms.

“You need to be going,” Ginny admitted, making Harry look away from Rose with a frown. He caught sight of George stood in the doorway behind Ginny and his breath failed him. He hadn’t changed much, which didn’t seem right. He looked as he had done, his left ear was missing, and there was less joy in his face, but Harry could almost imagine that nothing had changed. He hadn’t often seen George alone, but it wouldn’t have been a stretch to convince himself that the other wasn’t far behind.

“Yeah,” Harry muttered, passing Rose over to Percy, not hearing the spluttering of the other man, “I should get back to Teddy and make sure he’s ready to go.”

“Of course dear,” Molly said gently, she was also sat with her back to George, but she was watching Harry with a knowing look as he looked over her shoulder. George was lent against the door frame, he hadn’t looked at Harry but the tense posture made him sure that he knew Harry was watching him. “Don’t forget the food,” she warned, but Harry nodded without thinking. He had heard her, but the words hadn’t made sense to him.

“Harry. I’ll walk you out.”

There was only one person Harry hadn’t spoken to yet, and there was no doubt in his mind that this was him, he didn’t need to see how his mouth moved or how he had turned to meet Harry’s eyes.

Harry licked his lips, ignoring the pounding in his chest. It felt like that first letter all over again. Harry had sent the letter around Christmas time, offering an olive branch to George. He had wished him well, asked about the shop and after a few months, Harry admitted defeat. The arrival of the letter had been such a shock that Harry almost threw it away without looking at the contents. He had felt sick, regretting reaching out to George, but almost thankful for the response. Harry hadn’t expected anything nice, he wanted someone else to hate him as much as he hated himself. The letter wasn’t like that.

** _Harry,_ **

** _A very belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. _ **

** _It has been a while, and I will admit that your letter caught me off guard. It was nice to hear from you though. I hope all is well. I_ ** ** _’ve heard that you are staying with Teddy, everyone tells me he is a wonderful kid, someone I will no doubt be impressed with if he continues as he is and follows in your footsteps - everyone says how he acts so much like you already._ **

** _The shop is well, Percy and Ron have been managing most of the work side of it with me._ **

** _I_ ** ** _’m not really sure what else there is to say, most of it is too heavy to write down, and your letter was awkward enough for the both of us. _ **

** _Wish Teddy a happy birthday, I would have included something for him but I_ ** ** _’m sure our{STRIKETHROUGH} the pranking materials are a little too advanced for him._ **

** _Take care,_ **

** _George Weasley_ **

It had been short, but Harry had got the message. They had continued to exchange happy birthday’s and well wishes for the holiday’s, but neither of them had offered anything else. Harry hadn’t wanted to intrude, he hadn’t been sure George had even wanted to write to him.

It had been the last letter, the one that had arrived a few days ago that had made Harry’s mind up. It was what had influenced Harry’s choice to go to the Burrow.

** _I_ ** ** _’ll be at the Burrow, mom says you’re leaving so we’re all getting together. It would be good to see you there. George._ **

“George,” Harry greeted the man, standing up. He swallowed around the lump in his throat, thankful that his voice hadn’t shook. He could feel the weight of the silence around them, and he could feel the heat of the silence surrounding them. He didn’t dare look at anyone, scared that he would see the worry in their eyes to justify how strange it felt to actually see the older man.

“Come on,” George said, slipping through the door and leaving Harry to the eyes of the Weasley’s.

Harry cleared his throat before following George, he heard the softly spoken ‘see you’s and ‘bye’s but he was hyper-focused on the next few moments.

George had packed the boxes into a bag by the time Harry walked into the kitchen, and neither said a word as they left the Burrow. It felt strange, the energy that normally surrounded the twins were missing - although so was half of the twins. It still struck Harry as devastating to think about, he was still guilty of thinking about Fred and George as one entity - they had encouraged it the whole time he had known them, so it was jarring to think of George as just George.

“I never blamed you,” George broke the silence. They had walked far enough from the house that they were nearing the ward line. “I know you think I did but we knew what we were getting into. Everyone did back then,” he continued.

Harry turned to look at George, the words wouldn’t come from his mouth, but he wanted to protest. If he had acted sooner or hadn’t been so scared of dying, then no one would have been hurt. Harry knew it was irrational, and that he wasn’t solely to blame, but he couldn’t bear to blame anyone else.

“We both had been prepared,” George added, not noticing Harry’s desire to speak, and his words stopped Harry’s thoughts in place. He needed to hear George, he wouldn’t forgive himself if he didn’t. “We said our goodbye’s and we went into the battle like everyone else. Hell, we didn’t expect to have made it that far during it all.”

“Don’t,” Harry forced out. “Don’t pretend like it’s ok.”

“It isn’t ok,” George agreed. “I still think it’s the most fucked up thing to happen, but we didn’t expect everyone to live either,” the heat in George’s voice fell to nothingness. His eyes were on Harry’s face, almost searching for something. “I was worried that I would blame you,” he admitted quietly. “I was happy you weren’t around because I didn’t know if I could see you and not see him.”

Harry wanted to say that he knew what George meant because he had been terrified of seeing George and only seeing Fred. It seemed unrealistic for George to have a similar thought process.

“It took months to go back to the stop, but I had to. Just like I had to see you. I didn’t expect the letter,” George chuckled humourlessly. “I’m glad you reached out, I’m sorry I needed more time. I still don’t know if I’m actually ready to see you.”

“It would be a lie to say I was ready to see you either,” Harry pointed out, thankful for the laugh that George gave him. It wasn’t easy, but he wasn’t scared of George, not as he had been.

“Take the food, mom will kill me if you don’t,” George held out the bag he had packed. “Send her a message when you settle too.”

“You’re welcome to visit,” Harry offered, he had told everyone else, but since he hadn’t seen George, the offer couldn’t have been shared.

“Maybe, there’s still a lot to do here,” it was an excuse not to come, but Harry understood why. He nodded, and took the bag from George’s outstretched hand.

“Take care of yourself and Teddy,” George said as a goodbye, and Harry offered him a similar parting.


	4. The Plane Ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, what the chapter title is, we develop Teddy's character a little and show the flight over.

“Are you ok?” Harry asked, giving Teddy a slight push on his shoulder. It seemed to have pulled the kid out of his thoughts and he met Harry’s eyes. “It’s ok if you’re not,” Harry reminded him. It had been a learning curve for Harry, to be as open about emotions. It was something that Andromeda had pushed, much to his confusion. He understood the need for Teddy, but she had continued to ask Harry about his emotions and refused to let him shift the focus. Harry had never spoken about his feelings, it had never been encouraged, instead, it was almost frowned on for Harry to share his emotions. He still struggled to articulate how he felt, he had ignored it so much that he couldn’t identify the emotions clearly.

“I’m going to miss them,” Teddy admitted, he reached up for Harry’s hand, and Harry squeezed the smaller hand.

“That’s ok,” he said gently. “We are going away, but we will see them a lot.”

“I know,” Teddy gave Harry a small grin, but it was clear the words hadn’t calmed him as much as he tried to show.

“I’ll tell you what,” Harry said, letting go of Teddy’s hand and kneeling in front of him. “Tomorrow if you miss Mama ‘Drom a lot, we can go see her. We’ll see how tonight goes, sound good?”

Teddy bit his lip as he looked down at the floor, considering the words. It was almost comical how animated his thinking still was. Andromeda had always sworn she could see the wheels in his head spin. There was a nod as Teddy met Harry’s eyes again.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Harry said, he wouldn’t stop Teddy going back and forth every day if it made him feel happier.

“You won’t be upset?” Teddy asked.

“I might miss her too much too,” Harry pointed out.

“We try tonight,” Teddy promised, but he still stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck. “There’s a lot of people,” Teddy added quietly, the words tickling Harry’s eyes as he whispered.

“I know,” Harry said, squeezing his arms around Teddy for a brief moment. “They’re all going somewhere, remember what Hermione said?”

The two released each other as Teddy nodded. Hermione had sat the two of them down, talking both Teddy and Harry through moving around the airport and getting onto the plane, but Harry was still nervous. It didn’t help that there seemed to be thousand of queues that they could choose from.

“We need to find out airline and check-in, then we need to go through security and listen to everything they say, and then we get onto the plane,” Teddy repeated, and Harry couldn’t help but envy his ease. Teddy had a lot less to worry about than Harry did, and once Hermione was certain Teddy knew what was expected, she had pulled Harry to one side and given him a more in-depth talk. She had lists and guides for him, ranging from how to pack to what to pack, and even words of warning to not draw attention to themselves. Harry had taken all the information in without thought, he had trusted her and made sure to pack enough to cover the flight and a few days after they had landed, even though he hadn’t needed to bring a suitcase. Most of their belongings were muggle-friendly, and Harry had even left his wand in Kreacher’s possession to avoid the possibility of it being seen. Thankfully, Teddy was more adjusted than Harry. He didn’t have the gadgets that the muggles had, but he knew the basics of how to survive without them and how to use them. Andromeda had been insistent that he honour the muggle blood in his ancestry, and Harry didn’t see any need to protest.

Harry let Teddy lead the way to their specific line, asking the child to look for their airline. It was still bizarre to Harry how quickly Teddy had taken to reading, and he still found it strange how this baby knew words - even if Teddy was a lot older now.

The check-in process took a while, Teddy had begun to fidget long before they were called forward, and the slow movement of the queue was tiring to both adult and child. Harry had tried to keep Teddy entertained, talking about what they might do through security, or asking how many planes they expected to see. Time dragged, and Teddy let out a whoop when they were finally called forward, eagerly attempting to pull the suitcase behind him as he approached the desk. It had been simple, the lady had viewed the passports, smiling and asking Teddy questions as Harry loaded the suitcase onto the scale. He almost shook his head at the ease of it all, amused at how much of a big deal Hermione had made the process out to be.

The security check was a lot more stressful to Harry. He had shown their passports again, along with their boarding passes, but the fast pace of it all and the idea of the full-body scans were taking their toll. Harry had tried to hide his unease, but even Teddy’s eagerness to move forward had deflated as he held onto Harry. Their carry-on bag was placed in a plastic bin, along with their jackets and shoes. Harry knew he hadn’t anything he wasn’t allowed, but he still froze in fear before being gestured through the scan. He held his hands up by his head, hearing Teddy's snicker before the guard waved him through. He watched as Teddy stepped through the metal detector and sighed in relief as they collected their belongings. His heart was still beating as though he had run a marathon, and he was cursing himself for doubting Hermione’s warnings. Stepping off to the side, he sat with Teddy, both of them putting their shoes back on and making sure their bag was closed.

The worst of it should be over, at least from what Hermione said. She had warned Harry that they were intimidating, but he thought it was her youth that clouded her memory.

Teddy had the task of finding their gate and directing them towards it, which managed to waste some time as they originally moved in the wrong direction. They did find the right gate they needed for their plane, and Teddy pulled Harry towards the glass window without thought.

“They are so big,” Teddy said in awe and Harry agreed. He hadn’t seen a plane this close, but he had known they were large, it was surreal to see it this close. During their wait to board, Harry managed to pry Teddy from the window and get some food from one of the restaurants in the airport.

At some point during their wait, Teddy had dived into the carry-on bag and pulled out one of the activity books Hermione had insisted on them taking. He had settled down on the floor by the window to work through the puzzles, still glancing out at the planes. Along with the activity books (ranging from school work, to puzzles), hidden inside of the bag were wet wipes, sweets and lollipops, and even Teddy’s favourite stuffed animal - it was a bubblegum pink wolf, Andromeda had almost cried when she saw it the first time, it had seemed to be the exact blend of Remus and Tonks and that wolf looked after Teddy since that day. Harry had a few things for himself packed away, but he was mostly focused on Teddy - he would have no problem sitting bored as long as Teddy was entertained well enough.

Boarding the plane was an experience that Harry didn’t appreciate, he was jostled and nudged as they waited to show their boarding pass, and walking over the wobbly bridge to reach the plane. Harry was no novice to unsafe terrains, he just thought that muggles would have a better way of reaching the plane than something that would surely break and collapse if someone were to jump on it. Teddy showed no such hesitation, as he was the one pulling Harry forward, his excitement back in place. The lack of room aboard the plane didn’t help Harry’s unease, the close confines only made the heaviness in his stomach more pronounced. Harry hadn’t been in such close confines with so many other people, and the doors were not closed yet. Thankfully, Hermione had convinced Harry to book seats towards the back of the plane, and the number of people thinned around them, making Harry breathe easier. He made a note where the toilets were, which were only a few rows of seats behind them, as he let Teddy jump into the seat by the window. The enthusiasm warmed Harry’s chest, knowing how happy Teddy was always managed to make Harry proud and thankful, knowing that this child had that in his life and that Harry was partly the reason for it.

Teddy managed to settle in his seat long enough for Harry to double-check his seatbelt, and for them to listen to the flight attendants, but Teddy’s attention had still been on the view outside of his window. He squealed with excitement as the plane taxied to the runway, almost bouncing in his seat. Harry, on the other hand, had no such excitement at the movement. The floor rumbled beneath his feet, and the seats vibrated around him. There was a rush that pressed Harry against the seat in a way he hadn’t experienced, nothing like this. Once they were in the air, Harry managed to loosen his hold on the armrests. He could feel the pressure in his ears, and he saw Teddy opening and closing his mouth in an attempt to ease the pressure. Remembering Hermione’s warning, Harry reached forward to pull their bag from under the seat to pass over one of the hard boiled sweets to Teddy before popping one into his own mouth, giving Teddy a grin that he hoped hid his unease.

Teddy didn’t notice, thankfully, and he happily spent the first half-hour of the flight looking out the window down to the ground in amazement. He had pulled Harry over, pointing out the houses that shrunk the higher they climbed, and even watching the clouds part for the plane.

Once the view had grown predictable, he had turned to Harry with a pout, asking how long they would be. Harry guided Teddy’s attention to the small televisions in the backs of the seats, giving him headphones to use as he pressed the different options in wonder. Having settled Teddy, Harry used the other headphones to look through the options available, and the two settled in. They both passed an hour without thought before they were interrupted by the flight attendants bringing drinks around. Teddy took his with a grin, thanking the lady. Another half-hour passed before the workers handed out meals, and Teddy’s eyes had begun to drift as he chose his preferred option. Teddy ate his food without any hesitation, whilst Harry didn’t offer the same, he looked down at the meal in concern. He ate it all, whilst Teddy left his rice, and Harry had passed his questionable pudding cup over to the younger of the two.

They took a toilet break, and Harry guided Teddy back to their seats, moving the armrest so that Teddy could lean against Harry’s side. He had put his headphones back on, listening to the movie he had chosen as his eyes drifted shut, and his breathing mellowed. Teddy had woken later than normal that morning, and Andromeda had promised to try and get him down for a nap earlier on, but the seven-year-old had resisted. Harry hoped he didn’t sleep too well on the plane - as horrible as that made him feel, as they were landing late enough for him to put Teddy to bed, but he couldn’t bear waking him. Harry wouldn’t mind a few days of awkward sleeping patterns.

The lights had dimmed throughout the plane once the attendants had collected the leftovers and the rubbish from the meals, and Harry had offered the few people who looked over a smile as he shifted in his seat. He wanted to stand and stretch, the tightness already hitting his lower back. He tried to get comfortable, hoping to doze next to Teddy, glad that the child had eagerly taken the window seat so that he was more protected.

Closing his eyes did nothing.

Even with the hush in the plane, the dim lights. Sleep wouldn’t come. Eventually, Harry had admitted defeat, reaching for his headphones, and choosing some nonsensical film to listen to as he closed his eyes and focused his attention on the smaller body by his side. Harry had learnt how to be more aware of his surroundings - the war was a part of that, but Andromeda had also aided him in his journey forward. By connecting with himself, and reaching out to those around him, Harry had discovered the easily overlooked feeling of magic. It had become a routine for him, every night he would settle into the slight meditative state and reach out to those in his house, brushing Teddy and Andromeda with his magic and feeling their own respond to his. Andromeda hadn’t questioned the action, and Harry had noticed her doing the same on nights he had stayed up later than she had. It was intimate, and Harry had begun to think of that feeling as family. He was confident in his ability to pick out Andromeda and Teddy’s magic from others. By routinely doing this, Harry had noticed a sensitivity to the magic around him, Diagon Alley was overwhelming with how much energy was around - the magic was thick and draining as everyone passed by and the range of emotions. The summer was always the worst. The Burrow felt safer, the magic was still thick, the lives stored into the energy, but it was never threatening as Diagon Alley sometimes felt. Although Andromeda would often remind Harry that he was alone in feeling threatened by an excess of magic around him. Teddy’s magic was familiar and comforting, and it eased the tension in Harry’s mind about all the people around them.

Before long, Teddy had shifted and brought Harry back to complete awareness. Another toilet break later, Teddy was pulling out a lollipop from the bag as he settled back into place at Harry’s side.

“I’m bored,” the whine that typically meant there was a tired Teddy sounded.

“You could try to sleep some more,” Harry pointed out, but Teddy shook his head. The lollipop stick poked out, and reminded Harry of a time that Teddy would often suck his thumb for comfort. “We’re about halfway there, so there is still a bit more to go,” he pointed out, reaching forward to brush Teddy’s hair away from his face.

“I don’t want to,” Teddy whined, he pulled away from Harry, knocking into the chair in front of him as he did.

“Hey now,” Harry said, the gentleness in his voice hardening. “Be careful, there might be people asleep in front of us.”

“It’s stupid,” Teddy huffed, sitting back with enough force that his chair shifted with the movement.

“You are tired,” Harry pointed out calmly, he knew how Teddy could be, and he didn’t want to escalate this into something that could disturb others or trigger Teddy’s emotions more than they already were. “If you don’t want to sleep, then fine. I’m not sleeping either, but you can’t let yourself get this worked up, you know that.”

Teddy frowned, but he looked down towards his knees, and Harry knew that he understood. He crunched the lollipop between his teeth, chewing the pieces.

“Can you tell me a story?” he asked finally, having made sure to swallow the contents of his mouth first.

Harry considered, if only for show. A story would settle Teddy, and it had been a while since he had asked. Not that this story would likely be a bedtime tale, but it would pass the time and hopefully aid Teddy in his quest for sleep. He gave the kid a nod, unwrapping one of the blankets that had been handed out at the start of the flight. Making sure that Teddy was wrapped up, Harry began his tale. He spoke about his third year at Hogwarts, how he had stepped onto the train with his friends and stumbled across a man who seemed so out of place. He talked about this man who would become his professor and a friend and how that year had progressed. It was a story Teddy had heard a lot, along with the story of how Harry had met Tonks for the first time, but even so, Teddy’s eyes began to drift shut again, the words wrapping around him until he felt safe enough to fall back asleep.

Teddy managed to sleep for another few hours, Harry had accepted another drink for him, leaving it to the side in case he woke. There didn’t seem to be a need. In fact, Teddy was woken by the flight attendants coming around once more with food. He rubbed his eyes as he nibbled on the cheese sandwich he was given, eyeing up the small chocolate treat he was given along with the sandwich. Harry, once again, passed his treat over to Teddy, feeling more comfortable about this meal than the last.

“How much longer?” Teddy asked, once everything was once again cleared away, all expect a cup that still held the last of Teddy’s drink.

“Not too much, do you want to sleep again?” Harry asked.

Teddy shook his head. His hands were already reaching for the bag, he pulled out one of the activity books, blinking at the task ahead before he began.

True to his word, not too long later, an announcement was made for the seat belts to be refastened as they were preparing to descend. Teddy had frowned at his book being put away, but settled for watching a few more things as the bag was once again pushed under the seat.

Harry felt his stomach jump towards his chest, and his hands were once again grasping onto the arm rests. He focused on his breathing, trying to maintain an air of calm for Teddy’s sake. It was unneeded as the child was looking from the TV to the window in fascination, seemingly unsure at which was more interesting. Harry noticed the green tint in his cheeks though. He felt the pressure in his own stomach, making him swallow uneasily as he tried to put the idea out of his mind.

Another drop lower, Teddy had settled back into his seat, casting uneasy looks from the window to Harry. His face was pale, along with the tint of green, and Teddy had begun to lick his lips.

“You’re alright,” Harry said, he released one of his hands from the armrest, carefully taking Teddy’s. Teddy’s grip was almost painful, he held onto Harry with a strength that he tended to not show.

“I’m going to be sick,” Teddy admitted, and Harry’s mind froze. He remembered Hermione talking about bags, but the words weren’t coming to him.

“Just try and stay calm,” Harry said, but he could hear the lack of calm in his voice. He noticed the cup that hadn’t been collected. He had squeezed it into the pouch of the seat as they prepared to land. There wasn’t much time, especially as the plane dropped once more.

Reaching out with his free hand, releasing the arm rest completely, Harry had pulled the plastic cup free. Quickly, he leant over, pushing it under Teddy’s mouth as liquid escaped.

Thankfully, it wasn’t enough to overflow. Harry wasn’t sure how he would manage to handle that situation calmly. Teddy’s hold on Harry’s hand tightened as tears welled up in his eyes. He swallowed, and Harry wanted to pull him from his seat and comfort him as he tended to when the child was ill.

“Hold this a second,” he prompted, and Teddy’s free hand came up to hold the cup in place as Harry opened the bag without completely pulling it from under the chair. He pulled the sweets from the bag and took a handful of the mints before zipping it all back up and putting it back in place. “Here,” he offered, holding out a mint. “It might help your stomach a little.”

Teddy nodded, taking it without hesitating. Harry took hold of the cup again, moving it away from Teddy, but watching for any signs that he would need to move it closer again. Either the mint helped, or his stomach had settled with the small amount he had brought up. Teddy had found Harry’s hand to hold again, and he had wiped at his own eyes, making his eyelashes sparkle under the lights.

The final stop, where they rushed towards the ground and the engines rumbled beneath them once again finished with a few bumps. Teddy had smiled weakly as a few people on the plane clapped. Harry breathed a sigh of relief knowing they were once again on the ground.

Taxiing to the area they would depart the plane was uncomfortable, Harry had kept hold of the cup, unsure of what to do, but Teddy was looking more like his normal self. There was still a paleness in his tone, but the green hue was gone. Harry apologised as they left the plane, handing off the cup to a flight attendant who asked if Teddy was feeling alright now.

Teddy took steady deep breaths when they exited the plane, even on the rickety bridge, the air seemed so much clearer and cool than it had on-board, and Harry let him have the moment to catch himself and let himself feel better.

Stepping back into a queue was unfortunate, but Teddy offered no resistance. He was quiet as they were welcomed into the country. He followed Harry slowly as they made their way through the airport towards baggage claim, his energy having left. He waited patiently as they tried to find their suitcase, and held onto Harry’s hand as they made their way towards the exit of the airport.

“I don’t want to do that again,” Teddy mumbled through a yawn, his free hand rubbing his eyes again.

“I don’t think we will be doing that again,” Harry agreed. He hadn’t enjoyed it, it wasn’t _bad_ but it was unpleasant, magical travel was a lot more convenient and the comfortableness could be exchanged for time.

They walked for a while out of the airport, Harry wanted to make sure they weren’t in view of muggles when they stopped. He had told Andromeda what time they were expected to arrive, and even though they were a little earlier than planned, he should still be able to continue with their plan. He called out for Kreacher, offering the house-elf a tired smile when he arrived in front of them. Kreacher was tasked with delivering the rest of their belongings. Since there was still paperwork and regulations for house-elves to travel internationally, they had agreed to make sure Kreacher was around for them arriving. It was a way to put Andromeda’s mind at ease to know they had arrived safely, and it gave Harry transportation to their new house. It was mostly for Teddy’s benefit, with how tired he was likely to be, and in order to get him into bed at a reasonable time.

Kreacher wasted no time in apparating them all to the new house, and Teddy’s eyes were once again drooping as he looked around. He refused food, but accepted the glass of milk that Kreacher offered him before he was bundled off to bed.

Harry let himself sit on the couch that Kreacher had set up, the house looked functional already, there was little left to do. Yawning, Harry drank the tea that Kreacher had prepared. The food was preserved, ready for the morning.

Kreacher eventually came back, telling Harry how he had settled Teddy into bed, and how the young sir was asleep almost as soon as he had laid down. Harry had nodded, feeling that last remaining tension leave him. Kreacher did not view his job as complete, even when Harry had dismissed him. Instead, he pulled Harry from the couch, leading him up the stairs and into the master bedroom. A snap of his fingers and Harry was dressed for bed, and just like Teddy, the wizard was asleep almost as soon as Kreacher had pushed him into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An honest moment; the incident with Teddy as they land is what happened with me and my brother one trip to the US. It was disgusting and the only time it had happened (other than when he was really young and wet himself as we landed - but perhaps I shouldn't say that, he was two-years-old, in his defence!)


End file.
